~ serial lives: 22 years of writings & musings

tess – chapter 19

MARI BELEN, CARLOS JON, AND UMBERTO ARE HUDDLED IN A TINY BAR THAT IS NEAR THE Policía General offices. It is the first week of September in Madrid. Their police unit is under the scrutiny of an official external investigations probe. Everyone has withstood numerous interviews and formal shadowing and just finally today there has been an all-clear declaration. There has been only vague information about the nature of the probe.

There is a second issue on the minds of the three investigators. They are determined to petition to re-open a thrice-closed cold case. The cold case is related to the fifth letter, as sent by Jannet, and related to another overlapping more recent case. These two cases, the three conjecture, could be linked to the just-completed investigation protocol. Usually such protocols involve the validation or the exoneration of police misconduct. Mari Belen decides to ask Jannet, during their next Skype conversation, for additional insight or information before the team moves forward.

∙

Jannet is subdued for a few days following her recent time with Tess. Fortunately, the last two days of August are a Saturday and a Sunday. Very early Saturday morning she motors to Pacific City on the coast. It is a slightly longer drive, about 2½ hours one way, from Portland and obviously there are closer coastal towns but Jannet has a strong preference for the famously picturesque Pacific City. She has to pay an outrageous price for a room for two nights at one of the resort hotels there, but she realizes that it is high-season and she has no advanced reservation. Luckily she is able to obtain an available cottage at the Inn at Cape Kiwanda. She spins the weekend taking long hikes along the rocky coast, indulging herself at a spa, and mostly thinking. She is a little astonished, that despite the extraordinary nature of her experiences with Tess, that she usually and quickly reacclimatizes, to her regular life, after a brief initial period of disequilibrium. She is also concerned that she cannot communicate any of these new and extraordinary experiences to anyone else. She is somewhat uncomfortable with the fact that parts of her life are completely secret. But she is profoundly aware that each encounter, with Tess, does trigger some form of internal change within her although she is not sure what those changes might be.

Jannet is up early on Sunday morning and she hikes in a half light until dawn occurs. She finds a convenient rocky perch and waits for, and watches the changing tonal qualities of the sky and the shore and the sea during the sunrise period. Back in her room by 7.30 am, she has picked up a quick bagel and coffee from the resort’s coffee shop. She initiates a Skype session. It is 4.30 pm in Madrid and Mari Belen responds. The two women talk at length because it has been almost a week since their last conversation.

“Any luck on the research for a new apartment in Madrid for me. I was thinking that the area in and around the Gran Vía would be an exciting place to live, yes?” Jannet offers. She has been meaning to ask Mari Belen about the apartment search but it has slipped her mind during the previous few Skype sessions.

“Nothing new, so far on the apartment search.” Mari Belen responds in a matter of fact manner. While this is technically a true statement, she has concealed the fact that she has just signed a property contract for the purchase of a large apartment. Mari Belen is concealing the purchase at the request of the family, who have persuaded her to keep the apartment secret, and to treat it as a surprise. “Don’t worry, it will all work out.” She adds confidently in hopes of quelling any of Jannet’s further questions on the topic.

“May I get your opinion on another matter?” Mari Belen is eager to change the subject.

“Of course. What’s up?” Jannet is curious.

Mari Belen obliquely reviews the two criminal cases, one from the near present and one from the past, although she cannot reveal too many specific details. She requests additional information from Jannet regarding the cases because she feels, and her police colleagues concur, that there is presently insufficient evidential support regarding a legitimate connection between the two cases; this is despite what their gut instincts are telling them.

“I don’t have any more information or any more sensorial impressions, at the moment, but I do have a comment and I do have a suggestion. First the comment, I believe that your instincts are correct and that there is a connection between these cases and also that there is a link to the recent external investigative probe in your department. And for the suggestion: you can try to include the existence of the investigation inquiry as one of the justifications for your petition. You can officially ask the investigation department about the nature of their probe. Establishing that link, in your evidential documentation, will strengthen the validity of your formal petition. And I have another final comment: the link between the two cases is an oblique one or an indirect one. What I mean by that comment is that the two cases are pointing to or directing you to something else.”

“¡Perfecto! I will talk with Carlos Jon and Umberto and we can then revise our strategy. Thanks, girlfriend!” Mari Belen enthuses and adds. “Where are you? I suddenly realized that the room in the background is not your apartment.”

“I had to get away. I needed to process some recent events. I am in Pacific City on the Oregon coast. You should google it; it is a gorgeous location. And the getaway has been very beneficial.”

“What exactly happened?”

Jannet thinks for a few seconds, debating about how much to reveal about Tess. “Ok, I guess I need to talk a little about Tess.”

“Don’t tell me, I think I already know, she is like you. She has abilities. I could sense her difference when I met her.” Mari Belen speculates but she is glad that the topic of Jannet’s cousin has emerged.

“She is like me, if you multiply me times a factor of 10,000. Which is why I cannot talk about her much. In a way, she is quite literally out of this world. Anyway, we are, of course, related but she is a teacher for me and a protector for me, as well. She could be referred to as the Alder, or the Elder, which is a type of tribal/group leader and a master teacher. She has influenced me and she has looked after me for a long time. Anyway, sometimes in her role as my teacher, she challenges me or presents me with situations in which I have to stretch myself. It is a way to help me grow and it allows me to view the world and reality a bit differently, and to develop, hopefully, a little more empathy along the way.” Jannet pauses, she has spoken rather quickly and without taking a breath. “The main point is that I have to maintain a level of privacy about Tess’ life and about some of my interactions with her. And I don’t want you to feel odd about my secretiveness concerning her.”

“I accept that she has a right to her privacy although when and if you want to tell me more or she wants to tell me more about all of this, then I am open to hearing about it. Naturally I am curious about her but frankly you are more than enough for me, I am referring to your utter uniqueness, at the moment. I knew that there was some element of mystery about her life and her connection to you but I am ok with the little amount that I presently know, for the moment.” There is pause and Mari Belen continues. “We all have a little mystery and a little strangeness about us, only in your case it might be more than a little.” She smiles when she says this. Jannet notices her beaming on the computer screen. “Outside of my family, you are the most important person on the planet to me. And I am waiting with patience for your return to Spain.”

“Thanks, and I really mean thank you! And I will be back to Spain in a few more weeks.”

“By the by girlfriend, I have googled Pacific City in Oregon, USA and there is a stunning photo of the beach there. It is twilight and there is large building in the foreground, I think it’s a restaurant and in the background the ocean with a massive triangular rock formation in it. That’s where you are, right girlfriend?”

“You are correct. That is where I am.”

∙

The exquisite strains of choral voices and classical music reverberate inside the First Congregational church, known as a progressive Christian church, in downtown Portland. Jocelyn has committed to choir rehearsals every Wednesday evening in September. Jannet, Madelyn, and Terri agree to attend the weekly rehearsals and to acquire dinner afterwards, with Jocelyn, at a downtown eatery. Jannet will be absent for one of the Wednesdays because of equinox week events. There will probably be one or two other evening get-togethers, beyond the Wednesdays, because Jocelyn has pointed out that there are some other interesting PSU chamber music events and PSU choir events that would be worth attending at the campus recital hall.

Jannet regards classical music and classical voices, in a perfectly realized acoustical setting, as one of the great joys of her life. However, she is careful these days, to tap down her resulting excessive sensorial activity by simply stating, at the outset of a performance, to herself, her intention to be discreet. She is generally successful, there have been no episodes of excessive sensorial expressiveness during her recent attendance of these September rehearsal and concert performances.

One late evening, in early September, after attending a Friends of Chamber Music concert at the recital hall, on the PSU campus, with Madelyn, Jocelyn, and Terri. Jannet decides to not attend dinner afterwards and she excuses herself; and she walks back to her apartment. She feels an urge to chat with Tess. When she arrives back to the apartment, she opens her laptop and performs the login protocols. There is a Word document open and waiting. She types ‘Hello Tess’:

I am here **T

Is there a connection between Vancouver, of 50 or 60 years ago, and the Saturn moon of Rhea, over 200 years in the future? ** J

In one sense, perhaps a symbolic one, that earthquake shook up the region, the Pacific Northwest, and sparked much reconstruction, revising, renewal, reconsidering, and so on. This is in a region that was already motivated towards many forms of innovation. The volcanic eruption of Mount St. Helens, in 1980, could also be regarded in the same symbolic light.

One hundred fifty years or so years from now the region will be one of several worldwide corridors for cutting edge work in terra-engineering, off-world mining processes, and planetary mechanics; there will also be groundbreaking work in the biocybernetics field. In the mid-century to late century, of the 20th century, the early seeds of a new leap in Geo-Technics and Geo-Mechanics, as related to mining, were planted, particularly in the various academic communities of the Northwest USA and the adjacent Southwest Canada. ** T

The large numbers of moons then, circling Saturn and Jupiter, whether regular or irregular, will be potentially heavily involved in such activities? Yes? ** J

Yes, that is correct. In 150 years to 200 years from now, most likely, there will be an explosion of such activities because of the discovery of new and exotic minerals and metals on these moons; and advances in internal solar system travel will encourage these activities. This will lead to the creation of a new generation of super alloys responsible for an astounding array of new practical uses. ** T

And the ‘transhumans’ in the future? **J

The mega-metropolis region of the Pacific Northwest, among other areas, in 150 years to 200 years will be among the worldwide leaders in the development and production of nano-particles and ultrafine particles. This technology involves super small particles, or micro particles, and these particles are involved in the manipulating and the fabricating of larger scale or macro products. In the future these macro products will include the production of, among others, integrative biomaterials or bodily materials, or cybernetic bodily materials. Nano or ultrafine integrated biomaterials and cybernetic materials, will be part of some adults and when some of these adults have children, there can be a possible migration of these nano and ultrafine particles into the new born children. Interestingly enough, this time/space stream could veer away from the realization of 100% A.I. individuals, for now, but rather they might prefer to embrace hybrid human and cybernetic individuals. **T

And the new spiritual sects in the future? **J

Actually one of their fertile incubation grounds will be in the new future Pacific Northwest and British Columbia corridor because of that region’s openness to new ideas and because of its progressive leanings. There will be other regions in the world that will concurrently be an incubation area for these new future spiritual sects. Furthermore, the established religions will not disappear but they will be part of a new multifaceted mix of religious and spiritual pluralism. Of course, during the birthing periods of the main religions that exist today, hundreds of years ago, there were naturally numerous competing and/or complementary religion and philosophical sects.

Any other questions. **T

One more, I think. When I project, and when I project with other people, it is similar to holographic projection, is that correct? It is not my body, or the bodies of my passengers, but a mental projection. But with you, isn’t there a different form of projection? We are actually moving our physical bodies to different space/time locations yes? **J

When I project or when we are together in a projection, it is usually 100% and it includes our physical bodies. The exception has been our visits to the source family because that involves travel to a trans-dimensional region.

To reiterate, we have generally projected physically and not holographically. Obviously, I have more access to space/time manipulation than you do. The advantage of my form of transport is that that form of travel induces a more complete experience than a mental projection. By the way, for you, please stick with mental projections only. A mental projection, or out-of-body projection, from your grounded/stationary human body is the best option for you at this time.

Now. I am sorry but I must cut our conversation short. I must go, but we will talk again soon. **T